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Adventures in …… macrame bracelets.

The world and his wife seem to be going crazy for Shamballa bracelets; I kind of don’t get it. But, I do get loads of people asking me if I can make them, to which the answer is usually……, NO!

Shamballa Bracelet by naturalhandmadejewellery.com

This week, due to the high number of requests that seemingly will not cease, and the fact that it’s coming up to festival season where they’ll probably fit in quite nicely with everything else I stock on the trade stand, I have finally decided to bow to the pressure and make macrame bead bracelets the subject of my crafting adventures.

First, to understand why people are going crazy for them….

Shops don't sell bracelets; Rapper's do!

Shamballa is apparently some hidden kingdom that’s been mentioned in lots of ancient Buddhist texts; It’s a place of peace, tranquility and happiness. Shamballa is also one of the bodie’s chakras and is located in the heart of all living beings. Apparently, the current craze for Shamballa bracelets and necklaces was brought about by the fact that assorted rap and hip hop artists have taken to wearing them because of their deep and hidden meanings and healing properties. This, in turn, has resulted in assorted celebrity names also jumping on the bandwagon; The likes of Jay Z & Beyonce, Michael Jordan and Heidi Klum have all been spotted sporting their Shamballa goodies and their fans have followed the ‘trend’. It’s pretty much like going back to the eighties with the Beastie Boys and everyone stealing VW badges all over again! Now that I can understand……… 😉